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Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The Super Bowl LIV officiating crew will make history before the coin toss of Sunday's championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Bill Vinovich, in his 11th season as an NFL referee and 14th overall as a league official, will be the head referee of a crew that consists of five African Americans, the most for a Super Bowl or any NFL game.
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The five African American officials working the Super Bowl are line judge Carl Johnson, side judge Boris Cheek, field judge Michael Banks, back judge Greg Steed and umpire Barry Anderson. League sources told NFL Media on Sunday the previous single-game high was three.
The other two on the field will be Vinovich and down judge Kent Payne. The replay official, Mike Chase, won't be on the field.
"These officials are the very best in the world with exemplary on-field performance, leadership and excellence that far exceeds the established criteria, and truly demonstrates the power of diversity and inclusion in this great game," Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations, said in a statement.
The NFL had 122 officials for this season, according to the league's official website. Thirty-four (about 28 percent) are black.
The league assigns referees to postseason games based on a comprehensive review of regular-season contests. The NFL then assigns Super Bowl roles based on the regular-season reviews and playoff performances.
